Need dual monitors to run on XP

October 2, 2005 1:13 PM

Troubles running dual monitors on xp. Been to ATI site, tried searching Google, searched Ask archives.

Video card = ATI Radeon 7000/VE
Monitor 1 = 19" HP 9500
Monitor 2 = 17" HP pavillion mx70
Both monitors are connected through VGA Y-adapter.
I am only getting cloning. I want to extend Monitor 1 desktop on to Monitor 2.
Resolution is set the same on both monitors.

Display Settings:
Monitor 1 shows as primary and extend Windows desktop. Both are greyed out. Identify shows 1 on both monitors.
Monitor 2 I can click as attached. Identify does not show anywhere.

I installed the ATI multimedia package with Hydravision from the cd that came with card. This added many tabs when selecting Monitor 1, Advanced. There is not a Display tabs (which is all the ATI site talks about).
I installed a newer version of Hydravision from the ATI site. Still no change.

Display Adapter driver is ATI.
When I updated the XP driver for the monitor it is reflected for both monitors. So I can either have Default Monitor driver, HP 9500 driver, or HP mx70 driver for both.

I am not sure what else to look at/for.
Suggestions/questions welcomed and appreciated.

posted by sailormouth to computers & internet (13 comments total)

FWIW, it has always been my experience that you would have to have two video cards to operate separate desktops on two monitors.
posted by kuperman at 1:21 PM on October 2, 2005

Both monitors are connected through VGA Y-adapter.

What exactly does this look like? If it's just going from one standard VGA connector to 2, of course it won't work -- a VGA connector only carries one screen's worth of signals.

It has always been my experience that you would have to have two video cards to operate separate desktops on two monitors.

Many recent video cards have 2 outputs. Usually they're provided as separate connectors on the card.
posted by xil at 1:27 PM on October 2, 2005

What connectors does the graphics card have? Normally you can only do dual monitors if the card has two connectors and you have a monitor connected to each. I've never heard of doing it through any kind of Y adapter before.
posted by cillit bang at 1:30 PM on October 2, 2005

You guys are picturing it correctly. It is a Y connecting two monitors to a single output on the video card.

I was unsure of this config working, but the ATI site says under the Radeon 7000/VE description that using Hydravision multi monitors can be run. The Radeon 7000/VE only has a single output.
posted by sailormouth at 1:38 PM on October 2, 2005

Try not using the Windows-based control panel -- try using the graphic card properties.
posted by k8t at 1:54 PM on October 2, 2005

It's not very clear on their website, but it looks like you can use Hydravision to set up multiple "virtual" desktops and switch between them. If you want to extend the desktop onto a second monitor it looks like you'll need a second card.

A second PCI adapter similar or better than your 7000 can be had pretty cheaply. Just tell your BIOS which you want to be the primary adapter (AGP or PCI, assuming it lets you choose the PCI).
posted by sevenless at 2:04 PM on October 2, 2005

I had an ATI-based Radeon 7000 VE in my machine - right up until yesterday, in fact. Mine has two VGA connectors.

While I'm not sure given your description, I'll assume that this is a software, not a hardware issue.

You say that you updated Hydravision, but you didn't mention if you also downloaded the latest graphics card driver - in this case, Catalyst 5.9 Windows XP.

It is my understanding that Hydravision only gives you tools to make working with two screens easier, but relies on the main Catalyst driver to actually provide dual-screen functionality.

Unfortunately, with the card being out of my system, I don't remember exact details of what tabs I saw on my installation, or where you'd need to go to enable dual screen display. Can you check whether you've got the latest Catalyst driver installed? Maybe that'd solve the inconsistencies between what you see in your configuration panel, and what ATI says you should.

(As for me, I'm happily using four screens now; with two dual-head Matrox cards :)
posted by ckemp at 2:07 PM on October 2, 2005

I went looking at video cards online and I am finding cards with just a single VGA that they say support multi monitors.
Other cards with VGA/DVI/S-video outputs can act like a dual output with an adapter to VGA. I need to go to the store before they close to get some answers.

K8T - using the Hydravision interface uses the windows Display Settings. Under Advanced you get to the "added" ATI tabs. I can not find any other way.

sevenless - The multiple desktops is like you say. I'll look at adding a second card when I go to the store.

Thank you everybody.
posted by sailormouth at 2:17 PM on October 2, 2005

If the Windows Display control panel shows two monitors/desktops, then you can run both monitors with your existing hardware. When I get into work I'll find out how to turn off cloning on an ATI.
posted by krisjohn at 3:30 PM on October 2, 2005

I think that what you're finding about single port cards supporting multiple monitors may be misleading.

Physically, I cannot understand how a VGA Y adapter could be controlled by one video card with one output. Y adapters do not really have any sort of "gate" that I know of - so the signal would be the same in both ends, I would think.

I've seen single port video cards that, once you get to the fine print nitty gritty, explain that if you have multiple such cards, Windows will support multiple monitors...

For your sake - I'd be happy to be proven wrong... but I'm pretty sure that's what it means...
posted by twiggy at 4:42 PM on October 2, 2005

Okay, go into the advanced displays control area. (Bring up the Displays control panel, go to the settings tab, click on monitor 1, click on Advanced... or right-click on monitor 1 and select properties)

You should get a control window with about three rows of pages, most with the ATI logo in the corner. Go to Displays.

If I'm right you've got both monitors enabled, each with a pair of buttons -- one for clone (looks like the restore icon) and one for not clone (a circle in a circle).

TURN OFF monitor two in that control panel. Use the "standby" icon in the top left of the title.

Click on OK, go back to the normal display control panel. You should now be able to extend your desktop to the second monitor as normal.
posted by krisjohn at 4:48 PM on October 2, 2005

The card only has one VGA port. Hydravision will give you multiple monitor support if you have two or more Radeon 7000/VE cards installed in your computer.

If you only have one card with one VGA port, you can only control one monitor.
posted by b1tr0t at 5:45 PM on October 2, 2005

Once again thank you for the input everyone.

b1tr0t puts it most straightforward
If you only have one card with one VGA port, you can only control one monitor.

I did solve the problem by picking up a new card (with VGA/TV/DVI outputs) and a DVI to VGA adapter. It is working great.

Just to follow up:
ckemp - I did try installing Catalyst 5.9 which also requires .NET framework to also be installed. That did not work, but I had to install both for the new card anyway.

krisjohn - That Displays tab was not there. With the new card it is there.

twiggy - You and others who mention the capabilities of a Y adapter are correct. It is just going to clone.
posted by sailormouth at 6:05 PM on October 2, 2005